Share via

Cycling is booming in Britain, while car use is showing signs of falling.

And cycling is an inherently safe thing to do. The health benefits of cycling
mean you are far more likely to extend your life by taking to your bike than
you are to suffer a serious crash.

But whether they were commuting, shopping or simply enjoying the freedom of
two wheels, 110 people so far this year failed to make it home from their
trips. The scores of victims so far in 2012 reflect the increasing
popularity of cycling among people of all ages and backgrounds.

Ali Nasralla, who was killed in a collision with a taxi in London on March 5,
and Amber Cameron, who was killed on June 5 in a crash with a bus while
playing on her bike near her home in a residential area of Elderslie in
Scotland, were both aged just 8 years old when they died.

The oldest victim was 94-year-old John Winter, known as Jack to his family and
friends, who was killed in a crash car in Crowle in South Yorkshire earlier
this month.

In all, five children and sixteen teenagers have died. Jeffrey Townley, 12,
and Harrison Carlin, 15, were two pupils from the same school – the National
School in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire – and died within months of each other
while riding their bikes.

Maria Micklethwaite, 36, was a midwife who had delivered more than 200 babies
in Rotherham. She was killed in a crash with a car in South Hiendley in West
Yorkshire on January 13. Her husband Ian described her as his “beautiful
wife”, whom he had met as a member of Kingstone runners club in Barnsley.

James Darby, 44, a father of two young children, died on January 7 after
colliding with the opening door of a parked car in Beckenham. His wife,
Julie, said: “James was a main who gained love and respect from many people,
both personally and professionally. He tragically died at a time when he
still had so much to give, and his death on the road seems so senseless.”

Sofoklis Kostoulas, 31, who was killed in a crash with a lorry in East London
earlier this month, was a ballet dancer who performed at the Olympics
cultural festival, while civil servant Christopher Griffiths, who died aged
50 on January 23 in a crash with a lorry, was described by his brother
Martin as a “brilliant big brother” who was “selfless, articulate and the
cornerstone for his family”.

In the cases of 22-year-old Alex Fryer and 27-year-old Paul Lake, the cyclists
were found with serious injuries by the roadside, leaving police to
investigate whether they may have been hit by motorists and been left to
die. Four other cases have already been confirmed as hit-and-runs.

Though some of the 110 fatalities this year were deemed to be tragic
accidents, police are still investigating a number of the crashes, with
arrests made in at least 30 cases.

Some of the 110 cases, including a death which took place on a level crossing
and another incident which is being treated as murder, may not appear in
official Government statistics on road traffic casualties when they are
released next year.